[Discussion] Ethics: what does it mean to be a good person?

Ethics is the branch of philosophy concerned with what is right and wrong.

Most people believe they are good people. As a matter of fact, research shows 75-80% of Americans believe they are more morally good than the average person. Obviously this can't be true, and when we look more closely, we often find ourselves doing things we admit are not ideal… yet they are socially normal, legally permitted, or simply convenient.

Law, morality, and social approval are not the same thing. In fact, they often diverge:

• Something can be legal but immoral (buying a product you know has been made using slave labor, rather than a similar product made using fair labor practices)
• Something can be illegal but moral (stealing food to feed your starving child when you have no way to make money to buy that food)
• Something can be legal and arguably moral, yet socially condemned (donating most of your income to a charity that is guaranteed to save lives, thereby forcing your partner and children to live very modestly)

So what should guide us? The law? Social norms? Personal conscience? Is morality a strict obligation or just a useful guideline? Are there things more important than "doing what’s right," such as loyalty, love, ambition, stability?

Those are a few of the questions we'll be exploring. No background in philosophy is required. Only curiosity, intellectual honesty, and a willingness to examine your own assumptions.

Looking forward to thinking with you!